THE WORLD’S LARGEST INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL, MONTREAL’S JUST FOR LAUGHS
SETS THEIR SUMMER DATES FOR THE 39TH EDITION
THEIR HIGHLY-DISTINGUISHED COMEDY INDUSTRY CONFERENCE, COMEDYPRO
WILL BE 100% ONLINE
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN FOR
EAT MY SHORTS AND STAND UP AND PITCH ‘21
Montréal, February 17, 2021 - Just For Laughs Festival is thrilled to reveal that the 39th festival will be moving forward as scheduled, taking place on its annual dates from July 15-31, 2021. Knowing that now more than ever, comedy fans have an insatiable appetite for fresh content, the Just For Laughs producers are working tirelessly to curate an unrivaled hybrid experience featuring the most revered names in the comedy industry.
In the coming months, the festival will determine the scope and nature of the live and online performances; however, fans and industry can rest assured that their favourite stand-up performances, star-studded in conversations, powerful and poignant keynote speeches will all be included in the mix.
COMEDYPRO IS 100% ONLINE!
ComedyPRO, the most elite comedy industry conference that unites the world’s biggest players will be 100% digital this summer, running from July 28-31. Providing access on a global scale to passholders, this year’s four-day event will feature some of its most popular events such as their pitch sessions, illustrious New Faces showcases, network meetings with powerbrokers, keynotes and in-depth conversations with the most influential and impactful voices in comedy as they tackle many prominent business topics; including assessing the current state of the industry, and discussing plans to move forward to invigorate the comedy industry.
Early bird ComedyPRO passes are now on-sale today at www.comedypro.hahaha.com for $99US. Pass prices will increase to $199US at a later date.
JUST FOR LAUGHS EAT MY SHORTS 2021
SUBMISSIONS ARE NOW OPEN!
Just For Laughs is searching for the funniest short films from around the world to showcase in Eat My Shorts, the festival’s staple short film competition. Submissions are now open for short films from any comedic genre until May 21, 2021. The top films selected this year will be screened digitally from July 26-31, 2021, and will be voted upon by a jury of programming experts selected by festival executives to be announced at the screening. Many great filmmakers have screened short films in Eat My Shorts over the las two decades including Jason Reitman (3 times), Trey Parker & Matt Stone, and Bill Lawrence. All submission guidelines, rules, regulations and winning-prize details can be found online at www.comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions.
“BATTER UP!” STAND UP & PITCH 2021
IS NOW ACCEPTING SUBMISSIONS FOR TWO OF THEIR COVETED
PITCH PANELS
FROM SET TO SCREEN: TV, OTT, SVOD, and More
presented by Project 10 Productions
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BEYOND THE BOX: PLAYING IT SHORT
Just For Laughs and Project 10 Productions are inviting all comics, writers, creators and producers on the cutting edge of comedy to present their series ideas to a panel of industry experts in a secure and virtual setting, accessible only to registered passholders as part of Just For Laughs ComedyPRO.
Presented by Project 10 Productions, FROM SET TO SCREEN: TV, OTT, SVOD AND MORE: Just For Laughs is elated to be working once again with award-winning production company Project 10 Productions, producers behind such massive hits CBC/POPTV’S SCHITT’S CREEK, and CTV/Hulu’s JANN, in their search for the funniest, new and innovative long-form episodic or serialized comedy content. Open to applicants worldwide, submissions are being accepted until May 14, 2021 for comedy creators to enter their English single or multi-camera scripted sitcoms, game shows, reality shows, variety, sketch or animation series intended for a half hour or longer running time per episode. Previous panelists have included executives from Amazon, Bell Media, CBS, Comedy Central, CBC Comedy, FOX, FX Networks, HBO, Hulu, IFC, NBC and ABC. All submission guidelines, rules, regulations and winning-prize details can be found online at www.comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions.
BEYOND THE BOX: PLAYING IT SHORT: Just For Laughs is excited to bring back the coveted comedy shorts competition, in search of the funniest new and innovative short-form comedy content. Open to applicants worldwide, submissions are now open until May 14, 2021 for creators to enter their English digital-first shows, with episode lengths no greater than 15 minutes. These series ideas lend themselves to bite-sized viewing, including scripted, animation, factual, variety and sketch, aimed at platforms such as Snap, Apple TV, Sundance TV, and YouTube. Past panelists have included executives from Above Average, Adult Swim, Bell Media, CBC Comedy, Funny or Die, New Form Digital, Revry, Snap and YouTube. All submission guidelines, rules, regulations and winning-prize details can be found online at www.comedypro.hahaha.com/submissions.
We’re just getting started! More programming and further details regarding the highly-anticipated 39th edition of the Just For Laughs Festival will be announced in the coming months.
For now, Early bird ComedyPRO passes are now on-sale today at www.comedypro.hahaha.com for $99US. Pass prices will increase to $199US at a later date.
THANKS TO OUR PARTNERS
The Just For Laughs Group would like to thank all its partners, who have been tremendous allies in bringing about the success of this initiative. First, we’d like to acknowledge the support of CTV Comedy Channel, Variety and VIA Rail Canada. We also extend our thanks to our public partners: the City of Montréal, SODEC and the Government of Canada.
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About the Just for Laughs Group
Founded in 1983, the Just for Laughs Group is the most important player in the global comedy industry. Under the management of Groupe CH, Bell Media and ICM Partners, the company is an international powerhouse in the creation of multi-platform comedy content. Every year, it entertains millions of spectators with its festivals on Canadian and international stages, in Montréal – the biggest comedy event in the world – as well as in Toronto, Vancouver, Sydney and Bermuda. The Group organizes shows featuring thousands of comics from Canada and other countries, including established artists as well as up-and-comers; stages its own comedy shows and musicals; produces touring shows; broadcasts digital and televised content (notably Gags, which is shown in 150 countries and followed by an online audience of ten million on YouTube); manages talented artists; and is the originator of the ComedyPRO and JPR Pro industry conferences. www.hahaha.com